ABSTRACT
Objective:
to analyze nurses' managerial skills in the hospital setting, their perception of their own education and the relevance of training for their professional practice.
Method:
qualitative study based on the dialectical hermeneutics framework. Thirty-two nurses from three hospitals in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais contributed to the study by taking part in six focus groups. Records were transcribed and three categories emerged from content analysis.
Results:
results evidenced the following managerial skills: supervision, leadership, decision making, planning and organization, as well as the relevance of education centers for their improvement and the continuing development of the nurses' managerial skills.
Conclusion:
the authors believe this investigation will contribute for the improvement of nurses' necessary managerial skills and also to identify gaps in this area of their education.
Descriptors:
Hospitals; Nurses; Professional Competence; Management; Universities